Snow has woken up in Reina’s arms, and she’s rubbing her eyes as she looks at Wil.
Staring like that without saying a word is a habit of hers. When she sees someone for the first time, she watches first, and then apparently she gets something out of that.
“Hm…”
Wil opens her hand, and creates an ice crystal.
And like a card trick where someone shoots out lots of cards, she shoots a lot of crystals to the sky.
“Wah!”
“How’s that? I can do this too.”
Before those crystals can land on the ground, they start coming together, and turn into birds of ice that start flying.
As the light of the sun reflects on them, the ice birds fly around while sparkling and releasing frost.
“Wow wow!”
She really looks like a little girl, extending her tiny arms and trying to catch the birds even though she clearly can’t reach them.
She looks so happy and excited.
“Fufufu, how long has it been since I saw such innocent happiness? It’s surprisingly not bad.”
Wil puts out her finger, and a small bird made of ice lands on it.
Then she walks over to Snow, and puts out her finger near her.
“What do you think?”
“Birdie!”
“Yes.”
Snow reaches forward with both hands, and Wil hands her the small bird.
It flaps its little wings, moving almost like a real bird.
“Oh…”
“They move according to my will, so they won’t get away.”
Wil then moves her arms like a conductor, and the birds all change their movements accordingly.
It’s a beautiful sight, like an orchestra centered on her.
“…Beautiful.”
“Pretty!”
Reina is standing next to her, and she’s looking on with fascination, having let down the guard that was up until now.
“Forest ice birds… What do you think? Not a bad show, is it?”
Wil asks Snow with a content smile, who is looking on with shining eyes of respect.
“Fufufu, I haven’t been looked at with such pure eyes in a while.”
“It’s because of your bad behavior.”
“Rude. I’m just communicating with you people in my own way.”
“Then next time do something nice, like you did just now.”
“I refuse. Rather, just be happy on your own regardless of what I do.”
Why is she kind of nasty?
Well, from what I’ve heard, she usually lives alone in a castle to the north, so she probably wants company.
“Wil, don’t you make underlings or stuff like that?”
“…Should I turn you into one?”
Her expression quickly turns serious when she says that.
But that only lasts a moment, and she quickly turns back to her kind of teasing expression.
“I’m joking, don’t take it seriously. Even if I wanted to turn you into one, I severely lack the power to do so now.”
In that moment, I felt like I saw a being that was very different from the Wil that’s in front of me now.
“Well then, Snow or something.”
Wil then turns to Snow and pats her head, like that weird feeling I got was never even there.
“…What?”
“Hm… You can’t control your power yet, can you?”
She lets go, and there’s some frost in her hand.
It looks like she’s unconsciously making the distinction between who’s her friend and who’s not. She just feels a bit chilly to Reina and I.
Xellos felt pretty frozen, and Merlin couldn’t even touch her.
And for some reason, she’s still cold to Tiltue despite liking her.
Maybe she just trusts Tiltue, and feels like it will be all right.
She seems to like Wil too, but she probably doesn’t really see her as a friend because Reina is wary of her.
“Is it because she’s a newborn?”
“Well, we can leave it at that.”
Wil says before stepping away, and slowly leaves the ground.
“Are you leaving?”
“Yes. I got my fill of you two’s flirting for today.”
“…”
Why does she keep saying that?
Reina and I aren’t trying to act like a couple or anything, so it’s kind of embarrassing when she comes here and stirs things up like that.
“Also, about that great spirit. It’ll be hard for you like this, right? I can help if you want.”
“What brought that on…”
“Hey, Arata. Your wife can’t just accept people’s kindness.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s your fault.”
Don’t stare at me like that, it’s clearly because of your bad behavior.
And I’m not even going to react to the wife part. I know she’ll just start teasing me again.
I stare back at her while thinking that, and she snorts like she’s bored.
“Good grief, and I even came here under the sun and everything…”
“Do you want to take home a present?”
“No need to. I intend to thoroughly enjoy myself next time.”
She’s thinking of some nonsense again. She wouldn’t have come here in the middle of the day otherwise.
That said, she comes here to amuse herself, but she doesn’t do anything really dangerous, so it’s probably fine.
“Until next time.”
“Yes, be careful on your way back.”
“Bye-bye.”
Snow waves her tiny hand in Reina’s arms.
Wil laughs a little as she looks at her, and waves her hand slightly before leaving.
“…Good grief, she’s always so…”
“Hahaha. Well, I think Wil came here because she was worried, in her own way.”
“I wonder.”
The ice birds are also gone. All that’s left is a small one in Snow’s hand, but it’s not moving.
“Oh… Pretty.”
She’s looking at it intensely, like a girl that just got her first doll.
Although for her, something made of ice probably makes her happier than a cute doll.
“Anyway, I think we have to thank her later.”
“…I guess so.”
Reina doesn’t sound too convinced, but still nods.
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